Universal joint



April 24, 1928. 1,667,455

' 4 E. G. BURNS UNIVERSAL JOINT Filed Dec. 14. 1925 gwuentoz i socorrelated as to render -them immovable 'Patented Apr. 24, 1928.

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Application" filed December 14; 1925.

My invention relates touniversal joints of the character embodied in rnyco-pendmg application Serial No. 14,510; filed March- '10, 1925 and ithas particular reference to certain improvements 1 therein I by whichthe parts thereof, when in use,w1ll not be sub ected to undue strainsendstresses, but are circumferentially one i with respect to the,

other, whereby any tendency of'the partsto move radially orcircumferentially or in anymanner to set up undue wear and stress isentirely eliminated. l '1 1 Iwill describe only one form of universaljoint embodying my invention and will then point out the novel featuresthereof claims. In the drawings i t Figure 1 is a view showinginlongitudinal section one form of universal joint embodying myinvention; j 1

Figure 2 isa sectional jvlew taken at right angles to Figure 1;

Figure 3 isa transverse vertical sectional View taken on the line 3.-3vof Figure 1; i Figure 4 is a detail perspectiveview showing the: ball.member: of the joint shown in r the preceding views.

Similar reference characters refer tosim ilarv partsin each of .theviews.

Referring to the drawings, my invention in its present embodiment isshown as comprising a driven shaft D having formed on its ed on itsouter side with a substantially annular flange 16 extendingcircumferentially of the ball and with its ends terminating atdiametrically opposed points with respect to the shaft D. As clearlyshownin Figure 1, this flange 16 is-provided with inwardly inclinedupper and lower edges 16 so that in cross section, as shown in Figure 3,the flange appears of'dove-tail form. Embracing the ball member 15 is atwo part spherical socket member comprising sections 17 and 18, each ofwhich is formed with an arcuate flange 19 and 20, respectively, theseflanges being adapted to have sliding fit within grooves 21 and 22 ofthe'housed semispherical sections 23 and 24 of a two-part casing.Washers 25 are interposed between the sections 17 and 18 of the socketmember and the flange 16 and other washers 25 are interposed between theflanges 19 and 20 of the socket members and the housing to prevent unduewear of the confronting surfaces of these members, and it is to beparticularly ference' of l the socket member.

and toothereby provide a free end a hollow ballmember 15 provid- "smaino; 75,425.

noted thatthe edges of sections 17 and 18 are parallel tofthe edges 16*of'the flanges 16 and "that'all of the'edges arein planesfat rightangles to a circle defining 'thecircum- The sections 23 and24= of thetwo-part housing are formed with annular-connecting flanges 6 and27%which are securedtogether a as illustrated; and in a manner 1 to imaintain the sections of the housing. in spherical formation. Thehousing section 23 isprovided with an extension 28 to which isoperatively connected a driving shaft D. The housing section 2 1 isformed with 'anopeni'ng, the

wall of} which is provided with anannular groove 29in which'seats'a 1i30 0f a' col v lar 31 whereby the collaris" xedly secured upon thehousing-section=24. 1 A hood 32 is slidable upon the'shaft D and isurged in the direction of the collar 31 by "aspring -33' so thatadust-insulating strip 34' is :heldin contactvvith the outer surface ofthecollar'31 dust-tight oint between the hood andcoll ar." It willbeunder; stood that'the collar and hood co-operate in housing section: 2 Ltoprevent t ie passage of dust: inwardly ofithe-joint; The spring 33 isinterposed between thehood 32 and'a collar 35 secured'to the shaft D.The joint operates in the same manner as that described (providing acovering for :theopenirig ofthe 1 in connectionwith the form of jointembodied in my'co-pending application herein referred to, with theexception that the flange 16 of the ball member 15, by virtue of itsinwardlyinclined edges 16* prevents any tendency of the sections of thesocket member-or the ball member from moving radially under the torquegenerated as a result of the rotational movement ofthe two shafts. Aspreviously described, the: edges of the socket sectionsand the edges ofthe flange 16 are at right angles to a circle describingthe V acircumference of the ball or socket member and hence at right angles'tothe torque exerted atfthe joint, wherefore it'will be seen that forceexerted circumferentially on either the ballmember or socket member willbe effectively resisted by the edges of such members and to the extentthat no circumferential movement between thetwo members is permitted. 1

In thismanner undue stresses and strains to which the parts of-thejoints in previous construct-ions are subjected is entirely eliminated,thereby reducing excessive wear and lessening the liability of the partsof the joint being broken.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of universaljoint embodylng my invention, it is to be under-' stood that variouschanges and modifications may be made therein without departing 7members, shafts respectively secured to the ball member and housingprovided with an opening through which the shaftfor the member extends,the wall of said opening be: ing provided with a groove, and a closurefor the opening comprising amember havinga lip engagingiwithin thegroove, and a second member on the. ball member shaft having slidingengagement with the lipped member. I r 1 2. A universal joint comprisinga shaft, a flanged ball formed on one end of the shaft, a two-partsocket rotatably receiving the ball, and embracing the flange of theball, the contacting surfaces of the flange and socket being disposed-atright angles to any circumferential force exerted'on the joint, theparts of the socket each provided exteriorly with a flange which-coactsto produce a continuous flange at right angles to the ball flange, and ahousing having grooves for receiving the flange of the socket.

. 3. A universal joint comprising a shaft, an annular flange fixed tothe shaft, a-two part socket between the parts of which the flange isreceived, said flange being of dovetail form in cross section and thecontacting grooves for receiving the flange of the socket.

4. A universal joint as embodied in claim 8 wherein Washers areinterposed between the flange of the shaft and the parts of the socketand between the socket flange and housing. t ,5. A ball member forunlversal oints comprising a driven shaft having an annular portion atone end, said portion provided at its respective sides with annularflared faces, and a pair of identical sections between which saidannular portion is directly inter-v posed, said'sections each having anannular flared face nested with the corresponding adjacent annularflared/face of said portion and coacting therewith to cause said sectionto resist the action of frictional stress applied thereto, and annularflanges formed on said sections to engage in'th'e grooves of a housingor socket member;

6. A universal joint comprising a shaft, 2. member-on one end of annularportion, atwo-part socket receiving the member and engaging the opposedsides of the annular portion, the contacting surfaces of the annularportion and socket being radially disposed with respect to the axis ofthe socket, and annular flanges formed on the parts of the socket forengagement with the grooves of a housing.

ELMER G. BURNS.

the shaft having an

